Donald Trump’s baffling explanation for violence at his campaign rallies

It is a sad, sad commentary on the state of political affairs that, after Donald Trump’s answer to questions about violence at his campaign events, reasonable people in both parties had good reason to be afraid....

Trump’s two-part answer actually moved well past the realm of deflecting or spinning. This wasn’t even the kind of victim-blaming that it seems most conservative cable news commentators know how to deploy when discussing this week’s unarmed black citizen shooting. That’s all, sadly, rather standard political fare in 2016....

This was the actual employment of language and logic used to justify cross-burnings, lynchings and all manner of illegal, extra-judicial and inhumane behavior in U.S. history. This is what has been said to support attempted genocides, ethnic expulsions and some of the most shameful political acts around the globe. This is the actual route by which bigotry has, in the course of human history, become accepted practice and policy. This is the way that entire groups have been terrorized, demonized and oppressed.

What America witnessed Thursday night really boils down to this: Moderator Jake Tapper raised the issue of violence at Trump campaign events and then ably asked a follow-up question that included reading just part of the litany of comments that Trump himself has made sanctioning, calling for and justifying the physical abuse of protesters at his massive campaign events....